davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

tack Richardson commanded on the Fed
eral side, and was on the lookout. There
was an indecisive fight of several hours. Cen
o. o. Howard lost his arm here, and Gen.
Thomas +. Meagher, the patriot, fought
valiantly with his Irish brigade On the
Confederate side Gems. Roger A. Pryor and
Malone, afterwefd United States senator
from Virginia, commanded the Confederates.
Gen Lee and President jefferson Davis rode
out in carriage to see the fight from Rich
mond of May 81
June the Confederate army. with its
stores and ammunition, was being removed to
Richmond all day Toward evening the Con
federates under Pryor went there too That
was the last of the Fair Oaks fighting. Each
side lost some 1000. 1t was bloody fight
In the morning of June Hooker made
reconnaissance toward Richmond. He APP
preached it within four miles and reported
that only few pickets couhl he seen. 1t
seemed good time 20 march On Richmond,
but the commander in chief ordered Hooker
back and began anew around Fair Oaks the
throwing up of aarthwork intrenchnients
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08
HANOVER COURT HOUSE.

Between McDowclls front at Frelericks-
burg and McClellan's night before Richmond
there was force of 1900 Confederates.
They were Anderson's and Branch's brigades
and part of Stuart's cavalry. Branchs
brigade was at Hanover Court House, four
teen miles north of Richmond To clear
these l. 900 away, TO destroy the bridges over
the South Anna and the Pamunkey, which
would keep The Confederates from getting in
the rear of the Union army from the right,
and to cut the railroad from Richmond to
Northern Virginia. Fitz John Porter was sent
with 12,oo0 men. May q, in a heavy rain,
the battle of Hanover Court House was
fought, and Porter routed the Confed-
crates Bridges were destroyed according to
tho clan, which was in other respects carried
out except that the railroad from Richmond
to Fredericksburg was not cut Lacking
that wrote Lincoln TO Mcclellan, 'thc scrap
of the Virginia Central from Richmond to
Hanover Junction is simply nothing
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

between the general and Washington. Nc
Clelian demanded always more troops, and
the president and his cabinet refused to let
Washington be denuled McDowelrs corps.
which had remained at Washington, was to
follow and join the army of the Potomac.
But the president did not consider that Gen.
Mcclellan had kept his agreement to leave
Washington sufficiently protected, and re
fused to allow Mcdowell to move This
added to McClellan's irritation and mac
ton.
For quite six days Mcclellan had lain on
the Warwick with force several times
larger than his enemy After that it was too
late to force the Confederate line April 10
Gen j. H Hill arrived with re-enforcements
to the Confederates, and April IA Gen. Joseph
t. Johnston himself came and took command
in place Of Magruder
April 10 Mcclellan writes that if Franklins
and McCalls divisions of McDowell's corps
could be sent him that be would at once at
tack Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown,
take it and storm Yorktown from the rear
and in front by land. Frankln's division
was sent tardily and did not arrive at York
town until April 20 "A few days" after that
Mcclellan made a reconnaissance of Glouces-
ter Point
Plenty of time was taken for preparation
1t was going to I've a siege on magnificent
Plan. Scaling ladders we're made. and by
the I'd of May verifying was nearly y
ready.
May came, --antl Do, the Confederates
had evacuated Yorktown The scientific
siege of YorktoyvIl had ro;<,t.f. :, paugbt Tho
Confelerates haddelayed the Federal army a
month in the swamp trenches along the War
wick line THIS gave the Confederates time
to recruit, organize and drill re.enfofcements.
till formidable army MAS git together.
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

once attached to this body with the rank Of sec
ond lieutenant He was really one of the most
brilliant officers of the government When
ever quick, accurate observation and scien-
tific information were demanded, he was put
forward At one time lie was n government
exploring engineer in Washington and Oregon
territories. Again, he was one of three United
States officers sent to the Crimea in '55 to
study and report on the art Of war in Europe.
At this time be was Capt Mcclellan and one
of the Youngest mon Who ever attained that
rank in the country.
In 1871 be resigned from the army and went
into railroad building AMI engineering. When
the war broke out i'll 1861 he was president of
the eastern division of the Ohio and Mississippi
railroad, and lived in Cincinnati Knowing
him skilled ill military matters, the
Ohio people had him Immediately placed
at the head of the volunteer service of that
state May II, 1851, he was made q major
general III the United States army and
assigned to command the department of the
Ohio
Shortly afterward tool, place his campaign
in West Virginia lie did brilliant service
there, service which resulted in keeping West
Virginia to the Union
Then it was that he was called to Washing
ton and placed over the army of the Potomac
The G. A Il. 'boys" of to-day will shake
their gray heads and smile sadly as they
recall that time when Mcclellan went to
Washington. According to our American
fashion, newspapers and people went wild
with enthusiasm over him He was only 81
years old, handsome and dashing. He looked
the perfect soldier People called him the
young Napoleon and hailed him as the
country's de!iverer. All through McClellan's
letters 10 his wife are mentioned the ovations
he received as lie passed through to Wash
in5ton, and even before that After his
success i'll West Virginia he writes to Mrs.
| Mcclellan:
"Well, it is proud and glorious thing to
See q whole people here, simple and unsophis-
| ticated, looking up to me us their dcliverer
| from tyranny"
Again;
Il had u very complimentary dispatch
| from Gen. Scott last nigh. He said he was
| charmed with my energy, movements and
success Pretty well for the old man"
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08
AT WASHINGTON.

Placed i'll command of the army of the
Potomac headquarters at Washington, Nc
Clellan Immediately proceeded TO restore the
troops to prime fighting condition after the
disaster Of Bull Run Any of the peoples of
Europe could not have believed that we were
as ignorant of all pertaining to war as we
were when Mcclellan took command at
Washington Gen Barnard his chief of en-
gineers, tells how their CORPS hid to con-
tend with the want uf a special engineer
service. There vas no properly organized
train for conveying sappcrs' and miners i'm
plements, intrenchng tools ana bridge build
ing Hppurteuances, etc. Axes were given to
the soldiers to carry for use in chopping down
trees, building roads, etc. The soldier carried
it till he got tired and then threw it away
Next camp he got n new one, and 50 on.
The transportation of even the poHtoon equi-
page fell on the already overwhelmed quar-
termaster's department during the heavy
campaigning of the Peninsula.
Mcclellan set Immediately about building
an army from The stragglers of Bull Run and
from the recruits that poured in at the second
call The result of his labors was in time the
splendid army of the Potomac. In the judg-
ment of various good authorities Mcclellan
was the best organizer and equipper of an army
either side had during the war In his
memoirs Mcclellan writes of this time of
preparation:
II passed long days in tie saddle and nv
nights in tho oilice-a very fatiguing life, but
one which made my power felt everywhere
and 10y every one
He felt elated too, by his call to Washing
ton lie writes at that time: president
cabinet and Gen. Scott all deferring TO me
By some strange operation of magic seem
to have become tie power of the land"
Mcclellan paid particular attention to the
defenses of Washington, and in course of
time made it n well fortified city. After the
battle Of Bail Run the ConfelerateS were adj
vanced dangerously near to Washington
Centreyille, little town III Virginia only
twenty miles southwest of Washington, was
regarded as the key TO the capital After Bull
Run even that was abandoned, and all the
Union army went trooping pellmell into
Washington. The Confederate forces under
BeaureGard immediately occupied it. In
deed. Gen. Joseph t. Johnston afterward ad
vanced the Confederate lines even to Num-
sons Hill, in an air line only sig miles from
Washington. For weeks tie Confederate
flag floated on Munson's Hill in plain sight Of
the marble dome of the Capitol.
Centreville and Manassas, both far too close
to Washington, were the points at which the
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

Casey was pressed backward to Fair Oaks
station with reenforcements that had been
sent him by Reyes There was deadly fight
ing around Fair Oaks. At the same time
there was desperate contest about Seven
Pines, and Peck's brigade Of Federal troops
was forced back Confe,lerates swarmed in
in on the Union right, left and center.
Couchs left was turned, and his division cut
in two. and Kearney, who had endeavored to
save the left, was driven back
Gen. Sumner alone saved the part of the
army south of the Chickahominy from ami
hilation. He had ordered a bridge built on
his front across the Chickahominy several
days before. This was the famous Grape
vine bridge. There were only two bridges
besides this by which the Federal troops
might cross the Cbickahominy. These were
Bottoms bridge and the railway bridge.
AT ESQ o'clock Mcclellan ordered Sumner
to cross the river to the aid of Reyes and
Heintzelman The fact that the GRAPEVINE
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

erumbling bones of thousands Of as brave men
as ever shouldered musket
A private letter written at the time do
clares that Casey's FederaN division alone
lost S 900 men from sickness during April and
May
There was serious difference of opinion
about the line of march which should be
taken. There was a sort of triangle of
authorities to be consulted in forming the
plan of campaign One was President Lin
coin and his cabinet, another was Gen. Nc
Clellan, third was the committee of con
gress on the conduct of the war, Senator Ben
Wade of Ohio, chairman In January 1s64,
Edwin NJ Stanton became secretary Of war
and thereafter was most active element in
all military affairs.
President Lincoln had one plan Of attack,
Mcclellan another The presidents plan was
to move on the COnfe,lerates direct at Centre
vile and attack them in their stronghold
| McClellan's was to so down the Chesapeake
and then work up TO Richmond, Va, and
| capture the capital of the Confederacy before
the army at Centreyille could prevent it. 1t
| has not been decided to this day which plan
was the best Either one might have been
successful if carried out quickly. As it was,
there were delay and hanging back and argu-
ment, while weeks and mouths were lost
! McClellan's plan was finally adopted. But the
| fact remains that from that day ON Mcclellan
| regarded the authorities at u aShinyton as his
natural enemies. In his letters during the
Peninsula campaign occur such expressions
| as these:
"Those hounds at Washington are after me
| again.
| In these words he refers to President Lin
coin and his cabinet and the congressional
committee, including in the lump certain
military commanders Especially he CON
ceived deadly cnnity TO Secretary Stanton.
March s. 1862, the president issued his gen
cral war order No. 5, directing the army Of
the Potomac to move down the Chesapeake.
The permission was given with the express
condition that Washington should never bf
so stripped of troops as to be endangered
March the Con ederate army evacuated
| Centreville Ii had laiu, with $1,000 men,
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08
Shenandoah valley, and added to McDowell's

Shenandoah valley, and added to McDowehs
corps.
Mcdowell was ordered to leave Fredericks-
burg and join Mcclellan the middle OF May,
which was the time Mcclellan fixed his head
quarters at White House, on the Pamunkey.
White House was the property OF Mary
Gusts Lee, a great granddaughter of Martha
Washington, married 10 a son of Gen. Robert
L. Lee. On the site of this building had
stood one in which Washington courted and
married the widow Gusts.
Mcdowell did not get ready 10 march for
ten days, May 26. Then came the Stonewall
jackson scare in the Shenandoah valley, and
once more it was ell up with the plan for
Joining Mcdowell to the army of the Po-
tomae DcDowell was ordered back in
haste and commanded to send 10000 men at
once 20 the Shenandoah
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08
THE PENINSULA.
From Fortress Monroe to Fair
Oaks battle-ground.
GEN. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN.
The People Hailed Him as the =" Young
Napoleon.

A state of Chronic Nervousness About the
Safety of Washington Prevented Nc
CIeIlan from Being Supported as He
Wished-The Second Siege of York
town-Workins Slowly and Painfully
Up the Peninsula Toward Richnond-
In the Swamps-The Cbickahominy.
During the winter of1SG2 London Punch re-
marked that the American civil war was the
civilest it ever heard of
In the summer of 1861 the north had been
crying for leader Popular demand was
satisfied by the appointment of Maj Gen.
George Brinton Mcclellan to be commander
in chief, first of the army of the Potomac,
then of the armies of the whole United States
The first promotion came July q, the second
Nov. l, 1861
1t was not till the next spring, 1862, how
ever, that any fighting was done by tine army
Of the Potomac The quarter centennial time
of that fighting has come. II finds most of
the leaders ON both sides gone from the scene
of all earthly strife
Mcclellan was not only West Pointer, but
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

never was any more chance 10 get behind The
Confederate army and take Richmond. The
opportunity was lost
There was nothing for it now but TO move
down the Chesapeake and then work up to
ward Richmond in the face of the Conieder-
ate army Two routes were proposed, but
that adopted was McClellans own, going TO
Richmond by march up the Peninsula, be
tween the York and the James rivers. The
line of march is shown on our map by a
dotted line.
March II the army of the Potomac began
their move to Fortress Monroe. They went
down the Potomac and Chesapeake bay in
transports. Twenty thousand men, largely
fresh recruits, had been left at Washington.
All the subsequent differences and unpleasant
feeling between Gen Mcclellan and the
authorities at Washington may be summed
up in very few words: The president, secre-
tary of war and congress were unwilling to
increase Gen. McCjellan's army by the re-
endorsements he constantly demapded he
cause they feared it would leave Washington
dangerously exposed
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

navy had been engaged in watching the Con-
federate ram Merrimac at Fortress Monroe.
But the duel between the Monitor and MerTi-
mac, off Hampton Roads, March 9, and the
presence of the Monitor at the fortress left
that point comparatively safe base of opera
tons. Sound military critics agree that Nc
Clellan should have taken Norfolk before
starting up the Peninsula.
But he did not. He left it, with the navy
yard in full operation and the Merrimac
steaming and screaming defiance about the
bay At the same time he expected and in
sisted on the cooperation of the Federal
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08
ON TO RICHMOND.

Gen. Mcclellan had expected the constant
cooperation of the navy in The campaign OF
the Peninsula, Gunboats and transports
were to move up the rivers, conveying troops
and supplies, aud lowering as a protection to
the force that moved by land between the
rivers The James river was at that time in
possession of the Confederates, hut the gen
eral hoped, by rapid movements" TO open
up the james river and capture Johnston's
army and Richmond befofe re-eifTcements
could arrive from the west and south.
Fer some time previous the United States
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

river, which flows
to the southeast,
then sud denly
takes q sharp turn
to the south and
einpties into the
James. That is the
Chic a b omIny,
where much fight
ing was done, but
where fevei's and
malaria. carried off
more linen than all
the fighting in Vir-
ginia. Within its
pois on breeding
s mps lie the
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

twenty miles from
Washington oppos-
ed to ali army three
times as large for
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

bridge was already
built saved the day,
what there was left
of it. Su NJ II err
crossed in haste
with Sedgwick'
and Richardson's
divisions and took
command Line of
battle was formed
by Gen SedgwiclS
anew in the woods
near Fair Oaks,
and the battle ragged
even hotter than
before. Confederate
Gen. Johnston was
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

break, but his chief
forbade it. Smith
felt sure the at
tempt would have
been successful, for
his men were i'll
fighting mood. He
declared the few
Vermont boys per-
formed more indi-
vidual acts of he
roism than any 9th
er troops he had
heard of.
There was con
tinual pickering
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

Il
Confederate army
concentrated after
Bull Run. Beau
regard commanded
it up to the end Of
January, 1862.
Then he was sent
west, and Joseph E.
Johnston became
general in chief Of
tn g Conf ederate
army of the east.
J Mcclellan called
for more and more
recruits for his
arm y. President
J;.oi. .sl tl,a
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

had seen actual ser
vice in the Mexican
>far. He was born
IN Philadelphia in
1896. He was grad
uated from West
Point before he was
20 years old. The
most promisin s
graduates of West
Point are innedi-
ately assigned to
the engineer corps.
1t is the crack
corps of the regu-
lar army. Young
Mcclellan was at
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

IiiicDIu anu bHc
cabinet did their best to satisfy him. BY the
last of October Mcclellan had well equipped
army OF 134,2S5 men, his effective force,
ready for fighting. There was an aggregate
of i6s,Sls The people expected the Young
Napoleon to fight He talked about striking
an effective blow and making a Short,
sharp, decisive campaign, which should finish
he war. Qppossd e him ut CentreTills and
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

seriously wounded, and the command
devoIved on Gustavus w. Smith He
also was wounded, but even that did not stop
the fight. About dark, Sumner ordered a
bayonet charge Of five regiments, which broke
the Confederate line, and the fight was ended
for May 81.
Richardson's brigade and the artillery had
been mired in the mud, but they came up
during the night. Next morning, June l, at
3 o'clock. the Confederates made another at
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

Gen. Mcclellan rode from Yorktown to
Williamsburg, fourteen miles, upon his favor
lite war horse, Dan Webster The generals
aides called him Devil Dan and he could
trot a steady gait all day. Mcclellan never
parted with the faithful beast, but kept him
till Dan died, in 1879
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08
FAIR OAKS STATION

J.
The Confederate army retreated to Williams
burg, eleven miles further up the Peninsula.
Here the third line of the Confederate fortifi-
cations crossed the Peninsula. Johnstons re-
treat was accomplished the night of May 8.
1t was before Yorktown that captive war bal
looms began TO be used.
Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

Turn now to your map, run your finger
down the Chesapeake bay, and stop at that
portion of Virginia between the james and
the York rivers, Run your eye up that, and
you will see that it is long tongue of land
formed by those two rivers, and lying north
west and southeast. That is "the Peninsula"
and there Is where McClellan's battles were
fought. Well up toward the upper end lies
Richmond, the objective point of the army of
the Potomac. Slightly to the north Of Rich
mond Won will notice long, crooked little
Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-09

Last summer a Hartford lady, who was
on her way home from forS.gn tour,
bought two first class tickets for Liver
pool at the Euston street station in Lon
don and took the train for that city. When
few miles out from London she tore up
some old papers and threw them from the
window. and carelcssly tossed out her two
tickets also, which represented a cost OF
nearly Si5. Soon the guard came around
and called for the tickets. She explained
the situation and was permitted to go on,
but just before reaching Liverpool was re-
Quired to pay the fare rs II she had had no
tickets. though the guard gave her a Ger
tifcate that she had made such a payment,
and why il had been necessary.
With this she went to the superintend-
ent Of the company in Liverpool, and he
said that he would have the case investi-
gated, and, if il proved that two such
tickets had been sold at the Euston Sta
tiop and had not been taken up he would
refund the money. He asked her to call
again in three or four days. She ex-
planned that she would sail for home in
two hours, and then he took her address
and sRe left, thinking that was probably
the end OF the matter. Within 4 few
days. however she has received from the
London and Northwestern Office a letter
inclosing postofiice order for the amount
paid for the two tickets.
Under its admirable system of account
ing the company had traced the two tick
cts, proved their sale, and learned that
| they had not been taken up, and had then
refunded one Of the two payments which
| the travellers had had TO pay for their
journey. There is something suggestive
in this for the American railway man.
agers.-Hartford Courant
Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-09
The Bean Abroad.

An American farmer now in Europe
writes: Field beans as forage plant
commence to make way. They are being
tried, also, in silos. They form an excel
lent food for cattle, and can prove of val
liable Importance with autumn pastures.
Though the bean is said TO claim its origin
from the shores of the Caspian sea, it
adapts itself to every climate, but has a
leaning for a humid atmosphere. In
France il appears to thrive equally well
in the south rs in the north. In Belgium
beans are cultivated on an extensive scale:
they form part ration for the horses. OF
late, the haulm, or stems, are chaffed,
stepped with roots, and given to cattle.
In Aisace the haulm is employed as fuel.
The lean likes rather an argillaceous soil
and little cold. 4 good wheat soil suits
the bean-the latter, in France, is q IA
vorite predecessor in rotations Of wheat.
Manures rich in potash and phosphates Of
lime produce marvels on bean lands. The
seed is either drilled or sown broadcast
IN the upper Pyrenees the seed is scat
tered on the farmyard manure, ard both
plowed down.-Chicago Tinles.